DJ mastermind Paul Taylor is bringing down the house

DJ Paul Taylor is one of the stars of next months Beat-Herder festival in the Ribble Valley.

And Boy George, Pete Tong and Carl Cox all played Saturday nights for Taylor when he masterminded his legendary Retro sessions at Angels nightclub in Burnley.

“They were the best days of my life,” said Taylor, one of the stars of next month’s Beat-Herder festival in the Ribble Valley.

“That era of house music was indescribable - and Angels was as influential as The Hacienda in Manchester.

“None of the music press wanted to do a story about an old mill town in Lancashire, but people came from everywhere to be at Angels.

“The raw energy and great warmth of that early house music might have gone, but I still love dropping some big tunes and meeting fantastic people.”

Taylor will be behind the decks again at Beat-Herder for an extended Sunday slot on the Fortress Stage.

“Beat-Herder restores my faith in human nature, and it provided me with the best experience I’ve had as a DJ,” he said.

“I will not experience anything like that again, there was a dream like quality to it in the Toil Trees that night.

“It is my favourite gig of the year and the thought, imagination, care and ingenuity that goes into every corner of the festival is astounding.

“It is a surreal gathering, a carnival, and a parade for things a bit different and I love that.”

DJ Terry Farley will join Taylor as one of the Fortress headliners and the foundations will be quaking as they kick up a mighty storm on the closing night.

Farley, like Taylor, was on the front line of the Acid House revolution, delivering a string of underground club hits.

Taylor, with dance act Loveland, enjoyed four top twenty hits, teaming up with Aussie songstress Kylie Minogue for one of them.

“I like to be inspired by music and Beat-Herder does that,” said Taylor.

“I applaud the guys who run it for what they’ve achieved because they keep it fresh and special.”

He added: “Last year they asked me to play a secret gig in the wooden church.

“It was word of mouth and the chapel was packed to the rafters in twenty minutes.

“They presented me to the audience as a gift from god. It was absolutely amazing.”

Paul Taylor, Fortress Stage, Sunday July 14.